The Joy Formidable burst onto the scene in 2008 with the Austere single, to this day one of their best songs. The original single was on black vinyl and limited to 500 copies (a common theme with the Joy Formidable's singles). Collecting this single is a little weird. It goes through alternating waves of being readily available and impossible to find. I think the value has actually been artificially kept down by a couple of stretches in which sellers have "found several copies in the warehouse" or something like that. This has essentially held the value stable around the $30 range. I would have expected this single to be one of the biggest collector's pieces for this band, but some of the limited CDs have actually ended up filling that role.
Atlantic Records released its own Austere single in 2011 with different artwork. This one also contained a b-side, the "Oh Matt Thomas Bamalam Remix" of the title track. This record, also on black vinyl, is common. In addition to the 7"s, there were two promo CDs - one was a one-track promo, and the other contained two edited versions of Austere.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMAK007 7" Black | 20-30 | 5 | Stable |
| AT0358 7" Black | 5-8 | 3 | Stable |
 |
 |
| Sleeve | 1st - Thick-stock, full, glossy 2nd - Thick-stock, full, matte |
|---|
This page was last updated on November 24, 2019.
Whirring b/w Chwyrlio 7"
Friends Vs Records FVSR009, released 2009
Atlantic 7-527452, released 2011
"Whirring" was the breakthrough single for the Joy Formidable. I fully admit to not being the first on the scene with this band, but as soon as I heard this song, I was hooked. The Joy Formidable summons the guitar-driven rock of their 1990s forefathers, and "Whirring" is one of the shining examples of that sound. Great song. The original 7" is pretty rare, but the value has plummeted over time. All copies were on black vinyl. The b-side is a really cool version of "Whirring" in Welsh.
In 2011, Atlantic re-released this single for Record Store Day, also on black vinyl, but with different artwork. This one was limited to 2,000 copies. It is not hard to track down.
There were two promo CDs for Whirring as well, one released alongside each of the 7"s. The earlier one was basically a three-song sampler for A Balloon Called Moaning. The later one contained two edited versions of Whirring.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| FVSR009 7" Black | 6-10 | 5 | Down |
| 7-527452 7" Black | 5-8 | 2 | Stable |
 |
 |
| Sleeve | 1st and 2nd - Thick-stock, full, glossy |
|---|
This page was last updated on November 24, 2019.
Cradle b/w The Last Drop 2x7"
Try Harder WORK015, released 2009
The first three singles that the Joy Formidable released are all spectacular, and all make for powerful live performances. "Cradle" was the third of those singles. This one was a double 7" set, all on black vinyl. It came in in a gatefold sleeve, and was hand-numbered out of 500. The first disc featured "Cradle" and the "KYTE remix" of "Cradle", while disc 2 contained "The Last Drop" and "The Last Drop (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs-Iguanadon mix)." It is a fairly tough find, but does come up for sale from time to time, and the price has come down over time. I have seen it sell for as little as $20 and as much as $60, but the $20 end is more common now. There was also a promo CD version, containing all four tracks from the double 7".
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| WORK015 2x7" Black | 20-25 | 5 | Down |
 |
 |
| Sleeve | Thick-stock gatefold |
|---|
This page was last updated on November 24, 2019.
Popinjay 7"
Draca TJF020, released 2010
"Popinjay" made several appearances over The Joy Formidable's early years, but the studio version only showed up on this single and on The Big Roar box set. This one was on red vinyl. I have heard the 500 copies figure for this single, much like those that preceded it, but that is unconfirmed. The value of this one was rising for a while, but came way down. As with all of the singles that preceded this one, there was also a promo CD version. In this case, it just contained one track.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| TJF020 7" Red | 6-10 | 4 | Down |
 |
| Sleeve | Thick-stock, full, glossy |
|---|
This page was last updated on November 24, 2019.
I Don't Want to See You Like This b/w Whirring (Instrumental Harp Version) 7"
Atlantic/Canvasback AT0355, released 2010
"I Don't Want to See You Like This" was the first single from The Big Roar album. This one was released as a nice picture disc. It is an easy find. There was also a digital release of the single, but it came with different tracks - instead of the "Whirring" remix, it had "I Don't Want To See You Like This (Grouplove Remix)" and "Popinjay (Live)." Then, there were three promo CDs for this one. One contained the same tracks as the digital release. The other two were single-track CDs (one with the full song and one with a radio edit).
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT0355 7" Picture Disc | 2-4 | 2 | Stable |
 |
| Sleeve | Plain plastic sleeve with label affixed |
|---|
This page was last updated on November 24, 2019.
Roarities CD EP
Canvasback/Atlantic 528307-2, released 2011
Contains: Austere (The Naked and Famous Remix), Whirring (Innerpartysystem Remix), A Heavy Abacus (Live at Koko), Llaw = Wall (Live at Koko), The Greatest Light Is the Greatest Shade (Live at Koko)
This is an interesting EP. The live tracks are what you would expect. The "Whirring" remix isn't bad. I absolutely love the "Austere" remix, though. Remixes are generally not my thing, but that one makes me happy. When this disc first came out, it was available in limited quantities, both on its own and bundled with The Big Roar CD. The price spiked a little at that point when it became tougher to find, came back down when it became available digitally, and then went up a bit again before stabilizing.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| 528307-2 CD | 15-20 | 5 | Stable |
This page was last updated on November 24, 2019.
The Big More CD EP
Atlantic AT0361, released 2011
Contains: Cradle, Cradle (Fang Island Remix), Anemone, Whirring (Live at Koko), It's Over
The Big More EP was a CD that was a sort of expanded single for "Cradle." There was some great, exclusive material on here, including a studio version of "Anemone," which the band had previously featured in many of its earlier live shows, and a cover of Roy Orbison's "It's Over." This one can be fairly tough to find and not the cheapest if you do find it.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| 528307-2 CD | 25-30 | 6 | Stable |
This page was last updated on November 24, 2019.
Bootleg Vol. 1 CD EP
Self-released in 2011
Contains: Magnifying Glass, Anemone, Popinjay, Austere
This is a live disc released by the band, sold only at a few of their shows in 2011. Very scarce.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-released CD | 20-35 | 8 | Stable |
This page was last updated on November 24, 2019.
Cholla CD EP
Atlantic AT0362
Contains: Cholla, Tempo (Strong-Weak-Weak), Cholla (Acoustic Version), Wolf's Law
During the lead-up to the release of the Wolf's Law album, The Joy Formidable released this CD EP. Two of the tracks on here were exclusive to this disc - the acoustic version of the title track and "Tempo (Strong-Weak-Weak)." It has become quite scarce, but the price has not reflected that. There was also a one-song promo CD for "Cholla", which was a radio redit version.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT0362 CD | 5-8 | 6 | Stable |
This page was last updated on November 24, 2019.
A Minute's Silence b/w Badlands 12"
Atlantic/Canvasback 0-535011, released 2013
Atlantic 7567-99548-4 (UK)
Record Store Day strikes again! This 12" was released as a Record Store Day exclusive in 2013 and limited to 1,850 copies. The b-side is a fun Springsteen cover. I would have expected more than 1,850 copies, honestly, as this one is extremely easy to find and super cheap. There were U.S. and UK versions. Both are common.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic/Canvasback 0-535011 12" | 1-3 | 1 | Down |
| Atlantic 7567-99548-4 12" (UK) | 4-6 | 1 | Down |
 U.S. 12" |
This page was last updated on November 24, 2019.
| Scarcity Score | Definition |
|---|---|
| 10 | Near impossible: Fewer than 50 copies or publicly sold every few years |
| 8-9 | Very rare: 50-199 copies or publicly sold 1-2 times per year |
| 6-7 | Rare: 200-499 copies or publicly sold a few times a year |
| 4-5 | Medium: 500-999 copies or publicly sold ~10 times a year |
| 1-3 | Common: 1000+ copies, readily available, or publicly sold 20+ times a year |
Estimated values are based on recent auction results or online sales. Commercial use of images on this site is not permitted. Non-commercial use of images permitted, with attribution to Pette Discographies. All images copyright their respective owners.